John Beilein Is Making the Leap to the NBA to Try to Rebuild the Cavaliers

Former Michigan head coach John Beilein has agreed to a five-year deal to become head coach of the Cavaliers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Talks escalated over the weekend, with a deal reached on Sunday, league sources tell ESPN. Beilein informed his administration on Monday morning of his decision to make leap to NBA, and is telling his players now. https://t.co/qH749G3c3d

The 66-year-old has been a head coach since 1982. He had stops at West Virginia, Richmond, Canisius, Le Moyne (Division II) and Nazareth (Division III). He has a .640 winning percentage during his coaching career (754-425).

Thanks to everyone at the Univ of Michigan for their incredible support these last 12 years. Our fans , alums , leaders, players and students are AMAZING It has been a heck of a ride and I hope you enjoyed our teams and staff as much as I did !Go Blue Forever ! #GoBlue

Beilein has never coached in the NBA, so it will be a new challenge for him.

"Who's going to be the leader for this franchise moving forward and be a cultural driver, be a teacher and be aligned with us?" Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman asked last month. "I think for us moving into the future in this era of Cavaliers basketball, it's important that we find the right fit for that. I'm excited to start that process.

"We're done in April for the first time in four years, so we got a lot of time."

The Cavaliers used that time to get one of the best college coaches in the sport. Beilein is known for his offensive system that relies on 3-point shots. The Cavaliers wanted to get someone who could help them succeed in the post-LeBron James era.

Beilein has proven himself in the college ranks. Now he'll get a chance to help guide the Cavaliers back to the playoffs.